H ow can you kickstart recovery after a strength workout? Eating properly after strength training is so important and if you don’t get your nutrition right, you will not see the results that you want to. Your muscles are damaged when you lift weights and you need protein to help them repair and grow.
Because we live in a world where money is needed to survive, Latte Lindsay runs a number of affiliate programmes and offers contributed or partnered content. If you choose to click the links and read the posts, the site may earn a commission or receives a payment. All of the opinions are my own. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any partner brands/company(s), beauty & lifestyle brands, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities unless specified.
For the best results, you should eat as soon as possible after a workout. There is no hard and fast rule but many experts recommend that you eat within 45 minutes. You can use supplements to start your recovery or you should eat some healthy snacks to kickstart your recovery right away. So how can you kickstart recovery after a strength workout? These are some of the best snacks to eat after strength training.
Chocolate Milk
Chocolate milk might not sound like the kind of thing you normally have after the gym but it’s actually a great post-workout snack. It’s got a lot of great protein in it, as well as some sugar too. It’s easy to throw into your gym bag so you can drink a small bottle of chocolate milk right after you finish exercising to start repairing your muscles right away. Just make sure that you go for the low-fat option so you don’t undo all of the hard work that you have been doing in the gym.
Custard
Custard is another one that you wouldn’t expect to find on this list and you’re probably thinking, surely custard isn’t healthy for you? You’d be absolutely right and a bowl of normal custard isn’t a very good post-workout snack. However, you can get custard made from casein proteins, which is perfect after a weight lifting session. This custard casein protein is absorbed by your body a lot slower than whey protein, so you will notice improved recovery. It’s also a great sweet treat that is low in calories, so it helps tackle those cravings and keeps you on track.
Greek Yogurt
Greek yogurt is one of the easiest snacks after a workout and it’s filled with plenty of protein to help your muscles recover. It’s also packed with lots of healthy bacteria, which improves your gut health. You can easily add carbs to your greek yogurt with some simple toppings, like fruit and granola, so your body has everything you need after a workout. This is one that you can easily make up in batches so you always have a quick post-workout snack handy.
Banana And Peanut Butter
Healthy carbs and protein are the two main things you need to kickstart your recovery. A banana with a scoop of peanut butter is one of the best snacks to provide both because you’ve got plenty of protein and healthy fats in the peanut butter and lots of carbs and nutrients in the banana. It’s also pretty close to a dessert so if you’ve got a sweet tooth, this one is ideal. This can even be used as one of your toppings on your greek yogurt for some added protein.
With these simple snacks, it’s so much easier to keep on top of your nutrition and make sure that you kickstart recovery after a strength workout.